Gender Equality Action Plan progress report

Qualitative evidence of progress demonstrated by:

• 57% of Swinburne’s executive leadership are women, including the Vice Chancellor and three of six members of the executive leadership team.
• Workforce composition:
  • 53% women (+2%)
  • 45% women in academic roles (+2%)
  • >5 staff who identify as gender diverse in 2021 to 11 staff in 2023.
• Gender composition across the top, middle and entry-level roles has remained constant (as defined by level from the CEO). Swinburne has a target of 45% women in senior leadership roles included in management KPIs which was at 40.8% at time of reporting.

Qualitative evidence of progress demonstrated by:

• An increase of 5% of women on Swinburne’s governing body in 2023 representing 45% of Council members.

Equal remuneration for work of equal or comparable value across all levels of the workforce, irrespective of gender

Qualitative evidence of progress not demonstrated at this time:

• There is a strong commitment to <1% pay equity gap targets for like for like roles. The pay equity gap reduced from 1.5% in June 2022 to <1% in March 2023.
• Changes in the gender pay gap between 2021 and 2023 have been impacted by inconsistencies in how casual salaries have been annualised which has now been resolved.
• In 2023 our average total remuneration pay gap was 8.4% (+1.2%) and our median total remuneration pay gap was 6.8% (-0.3%).
• In full time ongoing positions (56% staff) there is a gender pay gap of 18% (this was 17.3% in 2021). Men are disproportionally represented in the upper pay quartile (40% men, 19% women) and underrepresented in the lowest pay quartile (17% men, 37% women) which is most prevalent in professional staff roles.
   

More time is required to see the impact of the implementation of the initiatives designed to decrease the gender pay gap and greater consistency in the audit data reporting from 2023 to 2025. 

Qualitative evidence of progress demonstrated by:

In the 2023 Gender Equality Survey:

• 8% women (-3%) and 7% men (+1%) respondents experienced sexual harassment with 1 formal complaint made compared to 3 formal complaints in 2021.
   

In the 2023 ‘Becoming One Swinburne’ survey:

• 88% of respondents (91% women, 89% men and 74% gender diverse) agree that gender-based harassment and sexual harassment is not tolerated at Swinburne.
   

In the 2023 Gender Equality Survey:

• 63% of respondents feel safe to challenge inappropriate behaviour at work (+1%). The gap between men and women’s experience. reduced from 14% in 2021 (74% men and 60% women) to 7% (-7%) in 2023 (69% men and 65% women).
• 66% of respondents (69% men and 65% women) agree that Swinburne takes steps to eliminate bullying, harassment and discrimination (no change). However, there has been a 5% reduction in the gap between men and women’s experience.
  
  

Analysis of the data indicates slight progress. The team was tentative in making this assessment, noting that building trust and confidence in the reporting process may increase the number of formal complaints in the future which can also be an indicator of progress. 

Qualitative evidence of progress demonstrated by:

Recruitment:

• 65% of new recruits were women (+10%).
   

Retention:

• 56% staff exiting Swinburne are women (+ 2%).
   

Promotions:

• 62% of all staff who were promoted were women (+ 21%).
• There has also been an increase in trust and transparency of the promotions process: 55% women (+10%) and 62% men (+7%) agreed that they had an equal chance of promotion.
• The Swinburne Women's Academic Network (SWAN) continues to have a positive impact in supporting the career development of women at Swinburne. This has been formally and externally recognised through the award of a SAGE Athena Swan Cygnet in 2024 for Academic Promotions.
   

Learning and development:

• Staff satisfaction has increased by 14% with 51% women (+11%) and 58% men (+6%) responding favourably.

Availability and utilisation of terms, conditions and practices relating to: family violence leave; flexible working arrangements; and working arrangements supporting employees with family or caring responsibilities

Qualitative evidence of progress demonstrated by:

Flexible working arrangements:

• 88% of respondents answered favourably to the question ‘My manager/supervisor supports working flexibly’ (88% women, 90% men and 82% who preferred not to say).
• 79% (+3%) of respondents answered favourably to the question I am confident that if I requested a flexible work arrangement, it would be given due consideration (82% women, 75% men, and 68% who preferred not to say).
   

Family violence leave:

• 89% of respondents answered favourably to the question ‘My organisation would support me if I needed to take family violence leave’ (90% women, 92% men, 92% gay or lesbian 78% bisexual, 83% with disability). This has remained consistent with our 2021 GE staff survey.
   

Carers leave:

• 37% of men taking carers leave (+3%).
   

Parental leave:

• 18% of men taking parental leave (-4%).
• Average of 21 weeks for men on parental leave (+6.2 weeks). 

Qualitative evidence of progress demonstrated by:

• 7% more academic women in STEMM on continuing and fixed-term positions from 30% in 2018 to 37% in 2023
• a strong commitment to continuing to grow our women in STEM through our SAGE Action Plan 
• men continue to hold most ICT Manager roles with 25% women in 2021 down to 22% in 2023. Our GEAP strategy 7.1.2. scheduled for 2025 is designed to address this.
   

Workplace culture:

• 77% of respondents had not experienced bullying at work in the past 12 months (+5%) 
• 10% of respondents advised that they had experienced bullying, but they are not currently experiencing this (no change),  
• 7% of respondents advised that they are currently experiencing bullying (+2%)  
• 6% of respondents were not sure (-2%).